Method of and mechanism for automatically severing the terminal threads of a stitched book



' July 28, 1936. A, RNLOIS ET AL 2,048,970

METHOD OF AND MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SEVERING THE TERMINAL THREADS OF A STITCHED BOOK Filed Dec. 9. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 28, 1936. RlVLQIS rr AL 2.048370 METHOD OF AND HANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SEVERING THE TERMINAL THREADS OF A STITCHED BOOK Filed Dec. 9. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Andr Rivlois, Paris, France, and Oskar Miiller,

Leipzig-Plagwitz, Germany, asslgnors to Gebruder Brehmer, Leipzig-Plagwitz, Germany, a

German firm Application December 9, 1930, Serial No. 501,128 In Germany July 23, 1930 22 Claims. (01. 112-252) The present invention relates to book-stitching machines for producing continuously stitched book-pads and more particularly concerns that type of machine in which an idle or locking stitch 5 may be made after the final section of each stitched book.

In order to facilitate cutting the books apart, which operation was hitherto always performed by hand, and also to obtain a complete or locked stitch on the outside section, as is commonly practised in the art, an idle stitch is made, in known manner, between two successively stitched books. When the severing operation was performed by hand, a batten, having a suitable cutting groove provided therein, was inserted between the books and under the threads which latter were then severed manually whilst lying drawn out over the batten and across the cutting groove therein.

20 In another known process in which strips of backing material are secured to the stitched books, the batten above described is replaced by a looping mechanism which serves to position the backing strip as required so that the latter :5 may be severed by a further manual operation. The cutting apart of the books by these means is particularly troublesome, because there is a great risk of severing the wrong threads, thus spoiling the book.

30 The object of this invention is to provide a method and means for automatically guiding and severing the threads forming the connections between successively stitched books of a continuously stitched book-pad.

5 According to this invention apparatus is provided to carry into eflect the method of automatically severing the threads, when the stitching of a book forming part of a continuously stitched book-pad is completed in a threadstitching machine is completed, so that the upper length of thread is mechanically severed adjacent the idle stitch made subsequent to the stitching of the final book section.

Referring to the accompanying diagrammatic 45 drawings which show two embodiments of the apparatus for carrying the invention into eifect:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section of one form of the mechanism above described and shown forming part of a thread stitching machine;

Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. 1, showing the positioning of the thread relatively to the guiding member after the formation of the idle stitch.

55 Fig. 3 is an elevational view partly in section of a modified form of the above described mechanism also shown forming part of a thread-stitch ing machine.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view at right angles to that shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the mechanism shown Figs. 3 and 4 with the thread guiding member in the retracted positions...

Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5 showing the thread guiding member advanced to engage the thread, and

Fig. 7 is a detail in plan view showing the movable guiding member engaging the thread and about to draw it in the direction of the cutting blade.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a guide bar or rail I0, extending transversely over the machine and associated with the stitching needles 0 and thread looping needles d, carries a series of brackets I in which are adjustably mounted thread-guide 2o holders I 441. Each of the latter members supports a' horizontally positioned thread guiding member I4, provided at its outer extremity with a hook I4, and a vertical knife blade 2I having an inclined cutting edge. The guiding members I4 and knife blades 2| are readily adjustable by moving the holders Ila in the brackets I20. as required. The knife blades could, if necessary, be mounted on the sides of the thread guiding members I4. 80

The outer extremities of the latter members are positioned in the recesses 22' formed by the serrations 22 provided in the lower edge of the bar III which, as shown in Fig. 2, forms a combined thread guide and needle guide for the stitching apparatus. An oscillatory sheet carrier '23 of known type (see U. S. Patent No. 2,027,105)

places the sheets or signatures to be stitched, beneath the stitching needles. when each thread guiding member I4 is suitably adjusted for the 40 purpose above described, the extremity thereof carrying the hook I4 is positioned approximately in the inclined plane occupied by the stitching needles and the thread held by the latter.

The operation of this embodiment of the apparatus is as follows:

A book signature is fed in known manner to the sheet carrier 23 which, in turn, positions the signature beneath the stitching needles, whereupon the signature is stitched in the usual man- 5 ner. The thread is thus applied to the signature in the form of a tight stitch and is fed continuously by the stitching needles in known manner during the stitching of the signatures. The cross hreads of each inserted stitch lie within the book section to which the stitch is applied and only the looped portions of the stitchesremain exposed on the book backs. When the requisite number of signatures forming a complete book have been stitched and an idle or locking stitch is to be made, the sheet carrier travels forward in an idle movement, that is to say, without a signature carried thereon (Fig. 1). The stitching 'needle 0 and looping needle (1 thus form an idle stitch i. e. a stitch not inserted in a book section after the last stitched signature S (Fig. 2) has been stitched. The portion a of the thread which leads from the last stitched signature to the idle stitch together with the portion a of the thread which is fed from the needle 0 to form the idle stitch is positioned below the thread guiding member I 4 immediately after the idle stitch is formed while the chain loop of the idle stitch is held by the looping needle d.

When the idle stitch is completed, the needle 0 moves upwardly and the thread 11 carried thereby, slides over the bevelled point I! of the needle l4 and is drawn by the needle 0 against the oblique edge 22" of the recess 22 and thus above the member I4, and completely clear of the hook l4 (Fig. 2). During the next stitching operation (when the first signature of the next book is stitched) the needle c moves downwardly together with the thread a and the latter is looped over the member l4 closely behind the hook M. The thread is thus held on the said thread guiding member 14 and during the stitching operations for the next books subsequently formed in the book-pad, the first formed book is progressed along in the direction of the arrow A (Fig. 1) and the thread a thus passed along the member l4 and finally drawn across the edge of the cutting blade 2|. The end thread connecting each two books is thus mechanically severed as the completely stitched books are fed from the stitching needles.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the thread selector needle is reciprocated, in order to engage and guide the end thread, in a positively timed manner controlled by automatic means. For this purpose and according to this modified form of the apparatus shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the guide bar or rail l0, extending transversely over the machine, carries a series of conveniently adjustable guide supports l2 in which slide members l3 are slidably mounted. The latter members each carry a thread guiding member [4 provided at its extremity with a hook l4. The slides 13 are adapted to be reciprocated in a substantially horizontal direction by means of the actuating mechanism shown in the drawings. An eccentric strap [5, actuated from a drive shaft (not shown), carries a cam member 16 which engages a follower roller I8 mounted at the lower end of a pivotal lever H. The latter member is rigidly mounted on a horizontal rocking shaft l9 and resiliently held in engagement with the cam l6 by means of a spring lSa. A downwardly extended arm 20, also rigidly mounted on the rocking shaft I9 is in driving connection with the slides I3 and so reciprocates the latter according to the throw of the cam l6. single throw cam, performs one complete revolution for each section stitched or stitching operation of the machine.

As in the first described embodiment a vertical knife blade 2| is mounted on each slide [3 or thread guiding member i4 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5). The members M are positioned in recesses 22' formed ,bv the serrations 22 (Fi 2) provided in the lower The latter, which is a edge of the bar III which, as shown in Fig. 4 is adapted to form a combined thread guide and needle guide.

The oscillating sheet carrier 23 which places the sheet, about to be stitched, beneath the stitcher head, is provided with a recess II in the side of the carrier uppermost, when the latter is in the operative position. Immediately above the recess is a downwardly extending finger 25 rigidly attached to a pivotal shaft 24 which latter is mounted on the bar l0. An upwardly extending finger 26 is also rigidly mounted on the shaft 24. The finger 28 has a V shaped notch provided at its upper end and adapted to engage a knife-edged member 28 carried at one end of a lever 29, which is rigidly mounted on the rocking shaft l9.

The operation of the apparatus in this embodiment of the invention is as follows:

A book section is fed to the sheet carrier 22 which, in turn, conveys the sheet towards the stitching means. The sheet, which covers the recess ll, prevents the finger 25 from entering into the recess during the forward travel of the sheet carrier. The finger 25 is thus engaged and carried forward by the sheet and the shaft 24 rocked to position the finger 26 as shown in Fig. 6. That is to say, the V notch provided in the end of the finger 26 is positioned to receive the knife-edge member 28 and thus lock the shaft l9 against rotation. By these locking means the lever i1 and cam follower l8 are prevented from following the throw of the cam i5 and the thread guiding member l4 remains in the forward position (Figs. 3 and 6). Since the transverse threads of the stitches inserted into the book sections are inside the latter (Fig. '7) the forwardly advanced thread guiding member cannot engage therewith.

If, however, the complete number of sections for a book have now been stitched and an idle stitch is to be made, the sheet carrier again travels forward towards the stitching needles but without a book section carried thereon, that is to say, with the recess ll uncovered. The fingers 25 and 26 carried by the pivotal shaft 24 have, meanwhile, assumed the position shown in Fig. 5. Owing to the recess I I being uncovered the finger 25 is now able to enter into the recess during the advance of the sheet carrier 23 and the finger 26 thus remains in the same position, that is, clear of the knife edge member 28. The lever 29, now free to moveallows the lever l1 and cam follower Hi to follow the throw of the cam i 6 so that the shaft l9 and lever 20 are rocked to reciprocate the thread guiding member or members.

The member I4 is thus retracted prior to the formation of the idle stitch and then again advanced upon the completion of the latter. The transverse threads of the idle stitch are of course free as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the chain loop of the stitch being held by the hooked looping needle d while the free end a of the thread leads up to the needle c. As described in reference to the first embodiment the thread portion a of the idle stitch thus leading to the needle 0 is pulled upwardly against the oblique edge 22 of the recess 22 formed in the needle guide It) and thus parted from the lower thread a leading from the last stitched book to the idle stitch. In this manner the threads are parted so that the hook I4 is inserted between the superimposed threads forming the idle stitch and engages a part of the thread intermediate the ends leading to the As above described the complete book is then pushed or conveyed onward towards the cutter blade 2| during the stitching of the following books of the book-pad. The end thread is thus brought into contact with the cutting edge of the blade and being held taut, as described, is severed by the latter.

It will be appreciated that, by this arrangement, the thread to be severed cannot slip away from the thread guide during the travel of the former to the severing blade. The thread guide, after drawing the thread onwards in the direction of the cutting blade, is again advanced by the cam actuated mechanism to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6 subsequently to engage the idlestitch threads of the next completed book and the first engaged thread is thus prevented from tripping over the hook M and so disengaging itself when slackened by the advancing book-pad.

The books which have been stitched, without the use of a backing strip, and severed by the above method, can then be removed singly or in groups as desired. If, however, a backing strip has been used in securing the assembled book together, this must be severed independently. The last mentioned operation may be performed manually and when performed in conjunction with the above described thread severing method, it does not entail any risk of spoiling the book by the severance of the wrong thread.

It will be clear from the foregoing description, that, since the thread severing blade and thread selector needle do not alter their position relatively to each other, these members may be formed as a single unit which would be adjustably mounted on the rail ill in a similar manner to the members l2a.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for use in a thread stitching machine, which comprises in combination, thread stitching needles, a sheet carrier, a needle-guide bar having slots forming thread-guides, at least one thread-guiding member positioned in the thread guides, a thread severing member associated with each thread-guiding member, and means for engaging a thread portion with the said thread severing member.

2. Apparatus for use in a thread-stitching machine, which comprises in combination, thread stitching needles, a sheet carrier, a needle guide bar having slots forming thread guides and oblique recesses leading to the needle guides, at least one thread guiding member adiustaoiy mounted adjacent the guide bar and positioned in an appropriate thread guide slot, a thread severing member associated with each threadguiding member. and means for engaging a thread portion with the appropriate thread-severing member.

3. In a book-stitching machine having thread sewing needles, a slotted needle guide bar, a supporting bracket attached to said guide bar, a stationary thread guiding member mounted on said supporting bracket and extending to a slot in the said needle guide bar, a thread severing member mounted upon the said thread guiding member, and means for retaining upon the said thread guiding member a thread engaged thereby.

4. A book-stitching machine comprising in combination thread stitching needles, a sheet carrier, a needle guide bar having slots forming thread guides, a supporting bracket attached to said needle guide bar, at least one reciprocatory thread guiding member mounted in the said supporting bracket and extending. towards the thread stitching needles, a severing blade mounted on said thread guiding member, means for moving the said thread guiding member in and out of the path of the thread extending from one of said stitching needles, and means for controlling mechanically the movement of the said thread guiding member.

5. A book-stitching machine comprising in combination thread stitching needles, a. sheet carrier, a needle guide bar having slots forming thread guides, a supporting bracket attached to said needle guide bar, at least one reciprocatory thread guiding member mounted in the said supporting bracket and extending towards the thread stitching needles, a severing blade mounted on said thread guiding member, means for moving the said thread guiding member in and out of the path of the thread extending from one of said stitching needles, and means for utilizing an idle stitch operation of the machine for controlling the movement of the said thread guiding member.

6. In a, book-stitching machine, means including thread-sewing needles and a movable sheet carrier for stitching book signatures in the form of a continuously stitched book-pad, a threadsevering device, a thread-guiding member, means for moving said guiding member to intercept a thread forming part of a formed stitch so that the intercepted thread is guided into contact with said severing device, and means actuated by said sheet carrier to control the movement of the said thread-guiding member.

- '7. The method of producing mechanically a continuously assembled and stitched multi-bookpad with the interconnecting threads severed between the adjacent books thereof, which includes presenting the book signatures in succession to the stitching needles, progressing the stitched signatures away from said needles in the form of a pad, positioning a thread-severing device adjacent the path of the stitching needles, and engaging with said device a. selected thread interconnecting adjacent books of said pad.

8. The method of producing mechanically a continuously assembled and stitched multibookpad with the interconnecting threads severed between the adjacent books thereof, which includes presenting the book signatures in succession to the stitching needles, progressing the stitched signatures away from said needles in the form of a pad, positioning a thread-severing device adjacent the path of the book-pad, and guiding into contact with said device a selected thread interconnecting adjacent books of said pad.

9. The method of producing mechanically a path of the thread leading from a formed stitch so that said thread becomes looped over said thread guide in the formation of the following stitch, and encountering said looped thread with a thread-severing device associated with said guide.

10. The method of producing mechanically a continuously assembled and stitched multi-bookpad with the interconnecting threads severed between the adjacent books thereof, which includes presenting the book signatures in succession to the stitching needles, progressing the stitched signatures away from said needles in the form of a pad, interposing a thread guide in the operative plane of the stitching needles so that a thread leading from a formed stitch becomes looped over said guide, and encountering said looped thread with a thread-severing device associated with said thread guide during the further stitching of the book-pad.

11. The method of producing mechanically a continuously assembled and stitched multi-bookpad with the interconnecting threads severed between the adjacent books thereof, which includes presenting the book signatures in succession to the stitching needles, progressing the stitched signatures away from said needles in the form of a pad, reciprocating a thread-engaging member through the operative plane of said thread-stitching needles so that a selected thread extending from a formed stitch to one of said needles is engaged by said member and severed in the subsequent stitching of the book-pad.

12. The method of producing mechanically a continuously assembled and stitched multi-bookpad with the interconnecting threads severed between the adjacent books thereof, which includes presenting the book signatures in succession to stitching needles, stitching each signature to attach it face-to-face against a previously stitched signature, progressing the stitched signatures facewise away from said needles in the form of a book-pad, positioning a thread guide in the path of the thread leading from a formed stitch so that said thread becomes looped over said thread guide in the formation of the following stitch, and advancing the guided thread along said guide in the subsequent movement of the book-pad to bring it into engagement with a severing device.

13. The method of producing mechanically a continuously assembled and stitched multi-bookpad with the interconnecting threads severed between the adjacent books thereof, which includes presenting the book signatures in succession to stitching needles, stitching each signature to attach it face-to-face against a previously stitched signature, progressing the stitched signatures facewise away from said needles in the form of a book-pad, and positioning a thread-severing device adjacent the path of the book-pad so that a thread connecting adjacent books of the bookpad is conveyed thereto and severed in the subsequent movement of the book-pad.

14. In the method of forming continuously stitched book-pads, the steps of moving a signature carrier containing a signature to a stitching position, moving a needle carrying a thread from a precedingly stitched signature through the signature on the carrier, looping the thread through a loop formed in stitching the preceding signature, withdrawing said needle and thread through the aperture formed in the signature, withdrawing the signature carrier, returning it to the stitching position without a signature, moving the needle carrying the thread from the signature lust stitched to form an idle stitch, retracting the needle and moving the return thread from the idle stitch normally held in a lateral position beneath a signature upwardly over the free end of a thread guide, withdrawing the signature carrier, returning it with a signature, moving the needle to form a stitch with the thread from the idle stitch positioned over the thread guide, continuing the stitching of subsequent signatures, and cutting the thread positioned over said thread guide.

15. In the method of forming continuously stitched book-pads, the steps of feeding book signatures one by one to a stitching position, forming a stitch in each signature with a thread leading from a previously stitched signature to attach the signatures together, forming an idle stitch between certain signatures, moving the return portion of the thread forming the idle stitch as the needle is raised in the formation of the idle stitch up over a thread guide out of the path of travel of the thread when moved to stitch a signature, and subsequently cutting the thread positioned on the thread guide.

16. In the method of forming continuously stitched book-pads, the steps of feeding book signatures one by one to a stitching position, forming a stitch in each signature with a thread leading from a previously stitched signature to attach the signatures together, forming an idle stitch between certain signatures, moving the return portion of the thread forming the idle stitch as the needle is raised in the formation of the idle stitch up over a thread guide out of the path of travel of the thread when moved to stitch a signature, and subsequently moving the thread on the thread guide into engagement with a severing element.

17. A method of automatically severing in a book-stitching machine the threads interconnecting the books of a continuously stitched book-pad, comprising stitching signatures together to form book-pads forming an idle stitch between adjacent book-pads, leading the thread from the idle stitch as said stitch is being completed over a thread guide, and subsequently cutting the thread positioned on the thread guide.

18. A method of automatically severing in a book-stitching machine the threads interconnecting the books of a continuously stitched bookpad, comprising stitching signatures together to form book-pads forming an idle stitch between adjacent book-pads, leading the thread from the idle stitch as said stitch is being completed over a thread guide, and subsequently moving said thread along the thread guide into engagement with a severing element.

19. In a machine for continuously stitching book-pads, a thread-carrying needle, a looping needle, a signature carrier for positioning signatures beneath said needles, a thread guide positioned between said needles adjacent the threadcarrying needle and out of the path of movement of the thread when a signature is stitched, means operable upon the failure to position a signature beneath said needles and the formation of an idle stitch for guiding the thread from said idle stitch onto said thread guide, and severing means positioned to sever the thread on said thread guide. &

20. In a machine for continuously stitching book-pads, a thread-carrying needle, a looping needle, a signature carrier for positioning signatures beneath said needles, a thread guide positioned between said needles adjacent the thread-carrying needle, said guide being positioned out of the path of movement of the thread when signatures are being stitched and in the path of travel of the thread leading from an idle stitch resulting from the failure to position a signature beneath the needles so that upon the formation of an idle stitch the thread will be engaged with said guide, and means for severing the thread on said guide.

21. A machine for producing mechanically a continuously stitched multi-book-pad with the interconnecting threads severed between the adjacent books thereof, which includes at least one thread-carrying needle, at least one threadlooping needle, a signature carrier anranged to present the signatures one by one to said needles which pass at least one continuous thread through each signature in turn to bind said signatures together .in the form of a continuous book-pad, a thread guide positioned adjacent the thread-carrying needle, means operable as certain stitches are formed to loop the thread forming the stitch over said guide, and a thread-severing device associated with said guide to engage the portion of the thread looped over said guide upon the advancement of the book-pads towards the severing device.

22. A machine for producing mechanically a continuously stitched multi-book-pad with the interconnecting threads severed between the adjacent books thereof, which includes at least one thread-carrying needle, at least one thread-looping needle, a signature carrier arranged to present the signatures one by one to said needles which pass at least one continuous thread through each signature in turn to bind said signatures together in the form of a continuous book-pad, means operable during the'formation of a stitch to shift said thread guide to cause a portion of the thread of the stitch being formed to loop over said guide, and a thread-severing device associated with said guide whereby, upon attachment of further signatures, said looped 20 thread will be advanced to the severing device.

ANDRE RIVLOIS.

OSKAR 

